Just in time for another message of unity from the Biden-Harris administration. This time it’s not the President labeling half the country as “racist” for opposing his policies, it’s the Vice President suggesting that relief funds for Hurricane Ian should be doled out through the lens of “equity” and prioritize “communities of color.”
As far as is commonly known, federal money and grants aren’t typically reserved and distributed based on skin pigmentation for disaster relief. Here’s the VP in her own words explaining how the Biden administration will focus on handing out resources to battered residents still picking up the pieces from Hurricane Ian:
Kamala on Hurricane Ian relief:
The Biden administration will focus on “giving resources based on equity” by directing funds to “communities of color” pic.twitter.com/uixPpyQWdU
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 30, 2022
That word salad is embarrassing on its face and it drew immediate backlash and outrage even from within government agencies. Reacting over the weekend, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) quickly shot down Harris’ remarks:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell on Sunday responded to Republicans criticizing Vice President Harris for a remark she made stressing equity in the administration’s response to climate change.
“We’re going to support all communities,” Criswell said. “I committed that to the governor, I commit to you right here that all Floridians are going to be able to get the help that is available to them through our programs.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis accused Harris’ words of creating panic among residents fearing that funding could be held up unless they meet certain “equity” guidelines.
Imagine hearing from the mouth of the Vice President that you might not get financial support to replace your missing roof because your skin color doesn’t check the right box to prioritize assistance. It’s a sickening and divisive tone that never should have been uttered and it’s unimaginable to think that Harris was unaware of how it would sound after she said it.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that federal disaster relief funds should go as quickly as possible to anyone who needs help.
Or, maybe it does.
Should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2022
There’s no question Harris made a serious flub by trying to impose woke equity politics onto Hurricane Ian disaster relief. The fact that FEMA, an agency operating under the supervision of her own administration had to correct the record speaks to just how insensitive the statement truly was.
Disaster relief funds sometimes never make it to those who need them as fast as they’re needed due to too much red tape. The better answer for Harris would have been to say that she’ll be personally involved in the process to remove barriers for anyone who needs assistance and ensure they receive it in a timely manner. No equity or racial politics need to be involved.
When did we get to a point where it’s acceptable for a public official to decree that federal disaster relief funds should be distributed based on skin color? There are a handful of ways to intentionally divide people and yet the Biden administration always seems to purposely step on their own landmines.
